Refrigeration Device With A Heat Exchanger

ABSTRACT

A refrigeration device has a refrigeration device container, a door for closing an opening of the refrigeration device container, and a coolant circuit arrangement. The coolant circuit arrangement includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a heating section for heating the opening region of the refrigeration device container. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger include a multi-port extruded fluid line and are designed to discharge heat from the coolant circuit arrangement. The multiport extruded fluid line is thermally coupled to the heating section, and the heating section is arranged between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and is configured to dispense heat from the coolant circuit arrangement to the opening region of the refrigeration device container.

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device with a heat exchanger.

The inner region of a refrigeration device is closed by the door of the refrigeration device. While the refrigeration device is operating the air in the inner region of the refrigeration device usually has a lower temperature than the air in the outer region of the refrigeration device. Since the opening region of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device is cooled by the cold air in the inner region of the refrigeration device, water can condense on the surface of the opening region. In the case of water condensation occurring the condensed water can drip down from the opening region on the refrigeration device, possibly resulting in damage in the storage space of the refrigeration device in some circumstances.

US 2014/0008044 A1 describes a refrigerator with two separate coolant circuits by means of which a freezer compartment or a refrigerated compartment respectively of the refrigerator is cooled. The coolant circuits comprise an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle element in each case. The condensers of the coolant circuits are cooled by a fan in each case.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,386 B2 describes a heat exchanger with a block unit consisting of serpentine tubes, part of the tubes being arranged side by side. The medium routed through the tubes flows through adjacent tubes in each case in different directions of flow resulting in a uniform temperature distribution of the medium in the heat exchanger being achieved.

To prevent condensation of water at the opening region of the refrigeration device, refrigeration devices can be provided with electric heating systems for the refrigeration device container, the said heating systems heating the opening region of the refrigeration device container.

The object of the present invention is to specify a refrigeration device in which condensation of water at the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device is reduced.

This object is achieved by a subject matter with the features according to the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments form the subject matter of the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

According to one aspect the inventive object is achieved by a refrigeration device with a refrigeration device container, a door for closing an opening region of the refrigeration device container, and a coolant circuit arrangement, wherein the coolant circuit arrangement comprises a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, and also a heating section for heating the opening region of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger comprising a multi-port extruded fluid line and being designed to discharge heat from the coolant circuit arrangement, the multi-port extruded fluid line being thermally coupled to the heating section, and the heating section being arranged between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and being designed to dispense heat from the coolant circuit arrangement to the opening region of the refrigeration device container.

This results for example in achieving the technical advantage that condensation of water at the opening region of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device is prevented. To avoid condensation of water at the opening region, refrigeration devices often need a separate heating system for the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device. This heating can be ensured for example by means of an electrically operated heating of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device. The heating of the refrigeration device container makes it possible to heat the opening region of the refrigeration device container above the dew point with the result that water condensation at the opening region of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device can be avoided.

In a refrigerator a fan is arranged in the spatial vicinity of a heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, the said fan being designed to feed an air flow to the heat exchanger to cool the heat exchanger resulting in a particularly effective discharge of heat being achieved from the first heat exchanger and from the second heat exchanger.

The opening region of the refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device is the region of the surface of the refrigeration device container at the front of the refrigeration device which is in contact with the door of the refrigeration device in the case of the refrigeration device being closed and which is uncovered when the door is opened. As a result the opening region is in contact with the outer region of the refrigeration device.

Conventionally a heating section can be provided by means of an extension of the heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, in a coolant circuit arrangement of the refrigeration device which is placed in a tube-shaped manner around the opening region. If the heating section is built into the coolant circuit arrangement upstream of the condenser, the coolant in the heating section released by the compressor has a raised temperature which is warmer than the condensation temperature of the coolant. If the heating section is built into the coolant circuit arrangement downstream of the condenser, then the coolant in the heating section can already be so strongly chilled that the heating section is colder than the condensation temperature of the coolant.

If the heating section is warmer than is necessary for avoiding water condensation then the efficiency of the refrigeration device is worsened since heat penetrates into the refrigeration device inner space from the heating section with the result that the compressor has to deliver a higher level of performance and as a result consumes more energy. If the heating section is too cold then water condensation at the opening region of the refrigeration device container may not be adequately prevented.

The arrangement of the heating section between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and the thermal coupling between the heating section and the multi-port extruded fluid line achieve the outcome that the temperature of the heating section corresponds to the condensation temperature of the coolant in the coolant circuit arrangement.

As a result the temperature of the heating section can be set such that it is possible to both prevent water condensation at the opening region of the refrigeration device container and at the same time avoid energy-related disadvantages due to the heating of the heating section.

A refrigeration device is understood to mean in particular a domestic refrigeration device, that is to say a refrigeration device which is employed in households or in the hospitality sector for household management purposes, and is used in particular to store foodstuffs and/or beverages at specific temperatures, such as for example a refrigerator, a freezer, a combined refrigerator/freezer, a chest freezer, or a wine cooler.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the coolant circuit arrangement comprises a coolant circuit containing the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger or the coolant circuit arrangement comprises a first coolant circuit containing the first heat exchanger and a second coolant circuit containing the second heat exchanger.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that in the first alternative the first and second heat exchangers can be arranged compactly in one coolant circuit arrangement and that in the second alterative the first and the second heat exchangers are component parts of separate coolant circuits in each case with the result that heat can be effectively discharged from two different coolant circuits.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the multi-port extruded fluid line comprises a large number of channels which are separated by ribs in each case.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the use of channels which are separated by ribs makes it possible for an advantageous quantity of coolant in the coolant circuit arrangement to flow through the multi-port extruded fluid line to enable an advantageous heat exchange in the first and second heat exchangers. If the ribs consist of a thermally conducting material then the multi-port extruded fluid line has a particularly large inner surface with the result that heat can be released from the coolant particularly effectively.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the multi-port extruded fluid line is curved in a meandering shape.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the meander-shaped curvature of the multi-port extruded fluid line makes it possible to enable a particularly space-saving arrangement of the fluid line in the first and/or second heat exchanger. The meander-shaped curvature causes the multi-port extruded fluid line to be arranged in multiple parallel layers in the heat exchangers. Curves are arranged at the end of the respective layers, the said curves enclosing in particular a 180° angle. The meander-shaped configuration of the multi-port extruded fluid line causes the surface area available for releasing heat to be increased.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first heat exchanger comprises a first channel and the second heat exchanger comprises a second channel, the first channel and the second channel being designed to convey a coolant of the coolant circuit arrangement into the first and second heat exchangers respectively.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the first and second channels cause a constant conveying of coolant into the first and second heat exchangers respectively. Additionally the arrangement of the channels in the first and second heat exchangers causes an effective release of heat from the coolant to be achieved.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first channel and the second channel are arranged parallel to each other, it being possible for the coolant which can be conveyed in the first and second channels to be conveyed through the first channel and through the second channel in mutually opposite directions of flow.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the parallel arrangement of the first and second channels enables a particularly uniform release of heat from the first heat exchanger and from the second heat exchanger. The opposite directions of flow of the coolant in the first channel and in the second channel causes the temperature difference between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to be kept low. As a result a constant release of heat can be achieved from the first and second heat exchangers.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first channel and the second channel are separated by a dividing wall.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the dividing wall ensures a strict separation between the first and second channels so that there is no physical exchange of coolant between the first channel and the second channel. Effective routing of the coolant in the first and second channels can therefore be ensured.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the refrigeration device comprises a heat exchange element which comprises the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the heat exchange element unites the first and second heat exchangers in one component of the coolant circuit arrangement resulting in a space-saving arrangement of the first and second heat exchangers in the refrigeration device being ensured.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first and second heat exchangers comprise a first attachment and a second attachment, the first attachment being designed to connect the first and second heat exchangers to the coolant circuit arrangement, and the second attachment being designed to connect the first and second heat exchangers to the heating section.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the function of the first and the second attachments, of connecting the coolant circuit arrangement or the heating section respectively to the first and second heat exchangers, achieves an effective routing of the coolant in the coolant circuit arrangement. In particular the coolant can be introduced into the first heat exchanger through the first attachment at a position of the first heat exchanger and routed out of the second heat exchanger back into the coolant circuit arrangement at a position of the second heat exchanger. In particular the coolant can be routed out of the first heat exchanger into the heating section through the second attachment at a further position of the first heat exchanger and routed out of the heating section into the second heat exchanger at a further position of the second heat exchanger.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first and second attachments comprise a first and second coolant chamber respectively for accommodating the coolant, the first coolant chamber and the second coolant chamber being separated from each other by a dividing wall.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the first attachment is suitable both for feeding and also for discharging the coolant from the coolant circuit arrangement into the first or second heat exchanger respectively and that the second attachment is suitable both for feeding and also for discharging the coolant from the heating section into the first or second heat exchanger respectively. The dividing wall achieves a separation between the first and second coolant chambers in the first and second attachments resulting in a mixing of the coolant from the first heat exchanger with the coolant in the second heat exchanger being prevented.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the coolant circuit arrangement comprises an active system with an evaporator, a compressor, or a throttle element.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the use of the said components makes it possible to implement an effective coolant circuit arrangement, the compressor being actively operated with electrical energy and as a result heat is produced which heat is released through the first and second heat exchangers and through the heating section.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the coolant circuit arrangement comprises a coolant, the coolant being an alkane or a fluorocarbon, in particular isobutane or tetrafluoroethane.

These results in achieving the technical advantage that the said coolant makes it possible to ensure an effective coolant circuit arrangement.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the heating section is in thermally conducting contact with the opening region of the refrigeration device container to ensure an effective release of the quantity of heat to the opening region of the refrigeration device container.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the thermally conducting contact between the heating section and the opening region of the refrigeration device container ensures an effective heating of the opening region of the refrigeration device container. In particular the thermally conducting contact achieves the outcome that a large part of the heat released by the heating section is not arbitrarily released to the refrigeration device but instead heats the opening region of the refrigeration device container in a targeted manner.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the surface area of the heating section comprises more than 60% of the surface area of the opening region of the refrigeration device container, preferably more than 80%.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the large proportion of the surface area of the heating section which is in thermally conducting contact with the surface area of the opening region of the refrigeration device enables an effective heating of the opening region of the refrigeration device container. In particular the large surface area proportion of the heating section ensures a uniform heating of a large part of the opening region of the refrigeration device container.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first or second heat exchanger comprises plates, the plates being designed to ensure an effective release of heat from the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the use of plates makes it possible to increase the thermally conducting surface of the first or second heat exchanger. A particularly effective release of heat from the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger is ensured as a result.

In an advantageous embodiment of the refrigeration device the first or second heat exchanger comprises a thermally conducting material which is selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, copper, and glass.

This results in achieving the technical advantage that the said thermally conducting materials cause a particularly effective heat conduction to be achieved.

Further exemplary embodiments are explained while making reference to the enclosed drawings, which show the following:

FIG. 1 A schematic representation of a refrigeration device;

FIG. 2 A schematic representation of a heat exchange element; and

FIG. 3 A schematic representation of a heat exchange element with a coolant circuit arrangement.

FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator as a representative of a general refrigeration device 100 which can be closed by a door 101 and has a refrigeration device container 103. The refrigeration device container of the refrigeration device 100 borders the upper, lower, front, and rear sides of the refrigeration device 100. At the front of the refrigeration device 100 the refrigeration device container 103 comprises an opening region 105 which is arranged close to the opening of the refrigeration device 100. Whenever the door 101 is closed the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 is covered by the door 101. Whenever the door 101 is opened the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 is uncovered and is in contact with the outer region of the refrigeration device 100.

The refrigeration device 100 comprises one or more coolant circuit arrangements with an evaporator, compressor, condenser, and throttle element in each case. The evaporator is a heat exchanger in which following the expansion process the liquid coolant is evaporated by absorption of heat from the medium to be cooled, e.g. air. The compressor is a mechanically operated component which draws off coolant vapor from the evaporator and ejects same at a higher pressure to the condenser. The condenser is a heat exchanger in which following the compression process the vaporized coolant is condensed by release of heat to an external cooling medium, e.g. air. To this end the refrigeration device 100 comprises a fan which is designed to feed an air flow to the condenser. The air flow brings about a cooling process and an effective discharge of heat from the condenser. The throttle element is a device for constantly reducing the pressure by narrowing of the cross-section. The coolant is a fluid which is used for the heat transfer in the coolant circuit arrangement, which coolant absorbs heat at low temperatures and low pressure of the fluid and releases heat at higher temperature and higher pressure of the fluid, changes of state of the fluid normally being included.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a heat exchange element. The heat exchange element 107 comprises a first heat exchanger 109 and a second heat exchanger 111, e.g. condenser, which are component parts of the coolant circuit arrangement. The separation between the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 is represented by way of a dividing line 113. The heat exchange element 107 comprises an inflow tube 115 and an outflow tube 117 through which the coolant can be routed into, or out of respectively, the first heat exchanger 109. The first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 are designed in the form of an extruded MPE fluid line 119, through which coolant is routed and which has a meander-shaped structure. The MPE fluid line 119 is in particular an extruded-aluminum, flat, multi-channel fluid line, the channels in the MPE fluid line 119 being separated by ribs. As a result it is possible to bend the MPE fluid line 119 without the channels collapsing. The MPE fluid line 119 can therefore be curved in the manner of a meandering shape. Plates 120 are installed between the meander-shaped sections of the extruded MPE fluid line 119, the said plates increasing the surface of the first and second heat exchangers 109, 111 and enabling an effective release of heat from the first and second heat exchangers 109, 111 to the outer region of the heat exchange element 107.

The transition of the extruded MPE fluid line 119 to the inflow tube 115 and to the outflow tube 117 is implemented by means of a first attachment 121 and a second attachment 123 respectively, the first attachment 121 and the second attachment 123 being designed with a tube shape, consisting in particular of aluminum, and having matching side slots which can be fixed, e.g. soldered on, at the ends of the MPE fluid lines 119. The first attachment 121 and the second attachment 123 have two connections in each case which are not connected to each other. Located in the center of the first attachment 121 or the second attachment 123 respectively is a dividing wall which re-routes the coolant in the MPE fluid line 119.

The first attachment 121 is connected to the inflow tube 115 and the second attachment 123 is connected to the outflow tube 117. The first attachment 121 is furthermore connected to a further outflow tube 125 and the second attachment 123 is furthermore connected to a further inflow tube 127. The inflow tube 115 is connected to the coolant circuit arrangement so that coolant can be routed through the inflow tube 115 into the first heat exchanger 109. The outflow tube 117 is connected to a heating section so that the coolant can be routed through the outflow tube 117 out of the first heat exchanger 109 into the heating section. The further inflow tube 127 is connected to the heating section so that the coolant can be routed out of the heating section through the further inflow tube 127 into the second heat exchanger 111. The further outflow tube 125 is connected to the coolant circuit arrangement so that the coolant can be routed through the further outflow tube 125 out of the second heat exchanger 111 back into the coolant circuit arrangement again.

A physical separation is located along the dividing line 113 in the first attachment 121 and in the second attachment 123 to prevent a mixing of coolant between the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111.

The first and second heat exchangers 109, 111, e.g. condensers, consist in particular of two parallel meanders from an MPE fluid line 119 with plates 120 of continuous folded aluminum sheets, and also the first attachment 121 and the second attachment 123 with inner dividing wall and two slots and two tubes in each case.

A variant of the first and second heat exchangers 109, 111, e.g. condensers, consists of a single meander from a correspondingly wider MPE fluid line 119 in which the separation between the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 is effected by the dividing wall in the first attachment 121 and the second attachment 123. As a result material and installation costs can be saved.

The first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 are arranged in the heat exchange element 107 such that a release of heat from the coolant to the outer region of the heat exchange element 107 is enabled. The release of heat can be ensured by the MPE fluid lines 119 and by the plates 120.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a heat exchange element with a coolant circuit arrangement. The heat exchange element 107 is a component part of a coolant circuit arrangement 129 of the refrigeration device 100, the coolant circuit arrangement 129 comprising a compressor 131, a condenser 133, and a throttle element 135. The coolant of the coolant circuit arrangement 129 has a direction of flow 137.

The heat exchange element 107 comprises a first heat exchanger 109 and a second heat exchanger 111, e.g. condenser, which are component parts of the coolant circuit arrangement 129. The physical separation between the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 is represented by a dividing line 113. The first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 are constructed in particular from an MPE fluid line 119.

The first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 are designed to discharge heat from the coolant to the outer region of the heat exchange element 107 resulting in the coolant of the coolant circuit arrangement 129 being condensed in the first heat exchanger 109 and in the second heat exchanger 111, e.g. condenser.

The coolant circuit arrangement 129 has a heating section 139 which is arranged between the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111. The heating section is connected in a thermally conducting fashion to the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 of the refrigeration device 100 with the result that heat can be released from the coolant circuit arrangement 129 to the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 of the refrigeration device 100.

The compressor 131 compresses and heats the coolant and pumps same into the first heat exchanger 109, e.g. condenser. The coolant flows through the first heat exchanger 109 which is designed in the form of a meander-shaped MPE fluid line 119, the coolant releasing heat to the outer region of the heat exchange element 107. Following this the coolant is routed out of the first heat exchanger 109 through the heating section 139, the coolant releasing heat to the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 of the refrigeration device 100. Following this the coolant is routed into the second heat exchanger 111, e.g. condenser. The coolant flows through the second heat exchanger 111 which is designed in the form of a meander-shaped MPE fluid line 119, the coolant releasing heat to the outer region of the heat exchange element 107.

Downstream of the second heat exchanger 111 the coolant flows through a drier 141 of the coolant circuit arrangement 129 and then farther through the throttle element 135 and through the evaporator 133 back to the compressor 131. Lastly the compressor 131 pumps the coolant back to the first heat exchanger 109 of the heat exchange element 107.

By means of the first heat exchanger 109 and the second heat exchanger 111 the temperature of the heating section 139 for heating the opening region 105 of the refrigeration device container 103 of the refrigeration device 100 can also be set to the condensation temperature with an MPE condenser. In those cases where a downstream heating system for a refrigeration device container would be too cold energy-related disadvantages are therefore avoided.

All the features explained and shown in connection with individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in different combinations in the inventive object in order to implement their advantageous effects simultaneously.

The scope of protection of the present invention is given by the claims and is not restricted by the features explained in the description or shown in the figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

100 Refrigeration device

101 Door

103 Refrigeration device container

105 Opening region

107 Heat exchange element

109 First heat exchanger

111 Second heat exchanger

113 Dividing line

115 Inflow tube

117 Outflow tube

119 MPE fluid line

120 Plates

121 First attachment

123 Second attachment

125 Further outflow tube

127 Further inflow tube

129 Coolant circuit arrangement

131 Compressor

133 Evaporator

135 Throttle element

137 Direction of flow

139 Heating section

141 Drier 

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A refrigeration device, comprising: a refrigeration device container formed with an opening region; a door for closing said opening region of said refrigeration device container; a coolant circuit arrangement including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, and a heating section for heating said opening region of said refrigeration device container; said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger including a multi-port extruded fluid line and being configured to discharge heat from said coolant circuit arrangement; wherein said multi-port extruded fluid line is thermally coupled to said heating section; and wherein said heating section is arranged between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger and is configured to dispense heat from said coolant circuit arrangement to said opening region of said refrigeration device container.
 17. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said coolant circuit arrangement comprises a coolant circuit containing said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger or said coolant circuit arrangement comprises a first coolant circuit containing said first heat exchanger and a second coolant circuit containing said second heat exchanger.
 18. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said multi-port extruded fluid line comprises a multiplicity of channels that are separated by ribs in each case.
 19. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said multi-port extruded fluid line is curved in a meandering shape.
 20. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said first heat exchanger comprises a first channel and said second heat exchanger a second channel, and said first channel and said second channel are configured to convey a coolant of said coolant circuit arrangement in said first and second heat exchangers, respectively.
 21. The refrigeration device according to claim 20, wherein said first channel and said second channel are arranged parallel to each other and the coolant to be conveyed in said first and second channels ise conveyed through said first channel and through said second channel in mutually opposite directions of flow.
 22. The refrigeration device according to claim 20, wherein said first channel and said second channel are separated by a dividing wall.
 23. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, which comprises a heat exchange element including said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger.
 24. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein: said first and second heat exchangers comprise a first attachment and a second attachment; said first attachment is configured to connect said first and second heat exchangers to said coolant circuit arrangement; and said second attachment is configured to connect said first and second heat exchangers to said heating section.
 25. The refrigeration device according to claim 24, wherein said first and second attachments comprise a first and second coolant chamber respectively for accommodating the coolant, and wherein said first coolant chamber and said second coolant chamber are separated from each other by a dividing wall.
 26. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said coolant circuit arrangement comprises an active system with an evaporator, a compressor, or a throttle element.
 27. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said coolant circuit arrangement includes a coolant selected from the group consisting of an alkane or a fluorocarbon.
 28. The refrigeration device according to claim 27, wherein the coolant is selected from the group consisting of isobutane and tetrafluoroethane.
 29. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said heating section is in thermally conducting contact with the opening region of said refrigeration device container to ensure an effective release of the quantity of heat to the opening region of the refrigeration device container.
 30. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein a surface area of said heating section comprises more than 60% of a surface area of the opening region of the refrigeration device container.
 31. The refrigeration device according to claim 30, wherein the surface area of said heating section comprises more than 80% of the surface area of the opening region.
 32. The refrigeration device according to claim 16, wherein said first heat exchanger or said second heat exchanger comprises plates, and said plates are configured to ensure an effective release of heat from the respective said heat exchanger. 